Aftermath
by Peter Douglas
Summary: An Eighth Doctor and Grace story -my 1st one so please review.


Legal Notice: 'The Doctor', 'The Master' and 'TARDIS' are copyrights  
of BBC Worldwide.  
'Daleks', 'Davros' and 'Skaro' and are copyrights of  
Terry Nation's estate.  
'Dr Grace Holloway' is probably a copyright of Universal  
studios.  
  
  
Aftermath  
by  
Peter G. Douglas.  
  
  
"Is it over yet?" Grace asked the Doctor.  
The Doctor stood silently at the crest of the hill gazing down at the fires below. The night air brought a breeze which blew through his chestnut curls and bore a charnel house odour that made Grace shudder.  
  
"Nearly." he said distantly. "The human soldiers are pushing the remaining Daleks back to their spaceship."  
...the human soldiers... the phrase reminded Grace just how alien the Doctor actually was.   
"So, it looks like your plan worked after all." she said deliberately sounding cheerful.  
Goddamnit Doctor, Grace thought, I'm tired too you know.  
"Hmmmm." was the Doctor's only reply.  
He had still not turned to face her. He stood stock still, hands clasped tightly behind his back, shoulders heavy with tension.  
"Hey come on, what's the matter?" Grace asked tugging at the sleeve of his frock coat.  
The Doctor finally turned towards her, his face was a mask of saddness and his glorious blue eyes seemed unfocused.  
"Eh?" he said seeming to see her for the first time.  
"What is it?"  
"I was remembering something." he said quietly. "Another time, long ago, when I had the chance to stop the Daleks..."  
"What are you talking about Doctor? You've stopped the Daleks. Like you said it's nearly over now."  
  
"No, no, no Grace. I mean before all this, right at the very beginning. On the planet Skaro I held their entire future in my hands."  
He held his hands out to her, illustrating his point.  
"I can see myself stood there, holding the two wires connected to the explosives in the first Dalek incubator room, Harry and Sarah standing by my side."  
His words fascinated Grace and she waited with baited breath for him to go on with his story.  
"Oh well, that's all ancient history now. How about you? You look tired. How long has it been since you've had any sleep?"  
"Doctor!" Grace almost screamed at him. He could be so infuriating at times! "What happened in the incubator room?*" "Oh, nothing much. I made a choice, that's all. Forget I mentioned it." he said. "Now then, you really ought to get some rest you know."  
Grace gave up at that point, knowing it was useless trying to get things out of the Doctor.  
  
"How can I?" she said with a snort. "When they keep bringing in more wounded."  
"Is there anything I can do to help."  
"Not really." she replied. "You're not actually a medical doctor, are you?"  
The Doctor shook his head and smiled wryly.  
"But I do know how to boil water and fetch the towels." he said hopefully.  
Grace returned his smile, glad to see that his mood was starting to evaporate.  
"You'd just be under my feet I'm afraid." she said the smile turning into a frown. "Besides Doctor, your part in this is over. Now it's my turn."  
"Very well."  
"In fact as your personnal physician I recommend that you back to the TARDIS and tinker with something."   
  
"Anything else Doctor?" he asked with mock seriousness.  
Grace moved closer to him and touched her hand to his forehead as if checking his temperature.  
"Yes. Take take one cup of tea with sugar three times a day and if these symptoms of guilt still persist make another appointment to see me."  
The Doctor laughed despite himself.  
"See, the treatments beginning to work already and you haven't even started it yet."  
The Doctor took her hand in his and squeezed it ever so slightly.  
"Thank you." he said simply.  
"For what?"  
"For two things," he smiled, "being yourself and being here with me."  
  
With that he let go of her hand and began to walk down the hill, towards the ruined city below. Grace watched him go, only mildly diappointed that he was travelling in the opposite direction to the TARDIS. Her smile slipped a little with realisation that she knew very little of him. she sighed and headed back to the makeshift hospital, idly wondering who Harry and (especially) Sarah were.  
  
The Doctor wandered through the ruined city at random, his path lit by the fires of the Dalek invasion. Bodies were strewn everywhere, spread out in some macabre pattern the Doctor couldn't quite see. Here and there the pattern was punctuated by the remains of a Dalek, its ruined armour still managing to refect the flames of the city. He found himself climbing over the rubble in places. He had no idea why he had decided to ignore Grace's advice. This was just something he needed to do. He needed to see the extent of the devestation. Perhaps I'm developing a morbid streak to my curiosity he thought to himself.  
  
"EXTERMINATE!!!!"  
  
The voice brought the Doctor back from his thoughts. Behind him, he heard a 'click' and then a something which sounded like 'phut'. He turned around slowly. There, half-buried in the collapsed remains of a house was Dalek. The dull black armour of its casing was scorched and pitted. several cracks oozed a bright green fluid which ran steadily down the side of the machine. The Doctor tutted, chiding himself for not examining the Dalek more. He had seen it trapped in the rubble but he had assumed it was dead.  
  
Again the clicking sound came followed once more by a 'phut'. The Doctor could see now that the sounds were coming from the Dalek's weapon. He shook his head.  
  
"You never give up, do you?" he said.  
"You are the Doctor." it droned. "You must be exterminated."  
"But why?" the Doctor asked, calmly brushing some of the debris away from the creature's eye stalk. "The invasion is over. Finished. The remains of your army has left the planet, so why continue the killing?"  
"Exterminating you will prevent further interference in Dalek plans."  
"Ahhhh. I see." the Doctor nodded. "But it won't work. Unless I'm very much mistaken your blaster is too badly damaged and I'd imagine your casing under too much rubble for you to just pop out and attack me."  
"Irrelevant. You must be exterminated."  
The Dalek's eyestalk and gun followed The Doctor as he sat down in the ruins and faced the creature.  
  
"Go on then." he shrugged. "Exterminate me."  
"This unit is too severely impaired. I must summon reinforcements."  
"Oh, I don't think they'll come, only a very small force managed to escape from the humans. But, just in case."  
The Doctor fished around in his pockets for a moment, until he located what he was looking for.  
  
"Here it is," he said brandishing his sonic screwdriver. "Now, a sonic field of quite low intensity should be enough to... ah... got it."  
"Argggh," the Dalek screamed. "Sensory overload. Communications disruption."  
More green fluid oozed from the cracks in the Dalek's armour.  
"I'm sorry Dalek. I didn't mean to cause you pain." the Doctor apologized. "I can turn it off now your communication systems are scrambled."  
"Pain is irrelevant. The Daleks are the superior beings."  
The Doctor stood up angrily and stared directly into the Dalek's eye stalk.  
"So tell me why you're dying in the wreckage of another defeat!"   
  
"This planet is only one part of the Dalek strategem. We will be triumphant." The Dalek declared.  
"Yes, I can see that. One more world to cross off your list" the Doctor replied. "Tell me Dalek, what would you do if you ever completed that list?"  
"I do not understand."  
"What would your race do with the universe? Assuming you ever managed to conquer it all."   
The Doctor began to pace across the rubble, not even looking in the Dalek's direction.   
"We would subjugate or exterminate all other races." the Dalek replied.  
"Yes, but then what?" curiosity now mixed with the Doctor's intial anger and he found that he really wanted to know the answer.  
  
Silence followed the Doctor's question. He stopped sharply, turned and looked at the Dalek. At first he wondered if the creature had died, but he noticed that the creatures eye stalk was following his every move. Which meant...  
  
"You don't know, do you?" he said incredulously. "Your race devotes it's entire efforts to conquer the universe and it's for no reason at all."  
"The Dalek's would bring peace and order to the universe."  
The Doctor shook his head sadly.  
"But if your race ceased it's efforts they would be a great deal of peace and order anyway."  
  
"It is the Destiny of the Daleks to rule the universe."  
"Spare me the empty rhetoric. I've heard all before." said the Doctor. "Your race was engineered to hate and destroy. Just Like Alexander, you're always complaining that there are worlds forever left for you to conquer."  
"Then what do you think will happen when we rule the universe?"  
Curiosity from a Dalek! The Doctor was amazed. At once he realised the opportunity that had presented itself. With a struggle he kept his voice even.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "Daleks would turn and fight against themselves. Factions would arise like those still loyal to Davros, and those factions would fight until only one remained and then that faction would fight amongst themselves until nothing was left and the universe hung in tatters."  
  
"With Davros exterminated there are no factions. The Dalek Empire stands united against any threat."  
"Oh, I don't believe for one moment that Davros is dead. Just like the Master he always turns up ... eventually."  
"The Time Lord known as the Master has also been exterminated."  
The Doctor's thoughts raced back to His TARDIS and the events that occurred in the cloister room. With a shudder he remembered the Master being swallowed by the Eye of Harmony.  
"Only time will tell." he said returning to the present.  
  
"If what you say is true Doctor and the Dalek cause is futile then this unit is satisfied by it's own termination."  
This from a Dalek?  
  
"No, no, no." the Doctor shook his head. "That's not the way! Dying is just another way of giving up; nothing changes. The whole point is to live. By living we can learn and by doing so change things for the better. After all, no destiny is unalterable."  
  
"It is too late for this unit Doctor." the Dalek intoned. "Life support systems: Critical ... Tissue damage: seventy percent ... Status: unrepairable... Estimated time to unit termination: two rels."  
"What?" the Doctor exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something? Perhaps I can help."  
He pulled off his frock coat and rushed over to Dalek. There he began to pull the rubble away from the creature's casing.  
  
"I wish Grace was here." he said half to himself, half to the Dalek. "She has more idea on anatomy than I do. Mind you, she's only helped other human's before. Still I'm sure she could help some how."  
As he continued to pull away the rubble the Dalek spoke again, it's harsh metallic voice quieter.  
  
"Doctor, all files indicate that this your eighth incarnation."  
"Yes." the Doctor replied. He was nearly through to the Dalek now.  
"Then your body has been terminated seven times."  
The Doctor paused from his work and wiped his brow.   
"Why do you want to know that?"  
"You will tell me what happens during your regeneration."  
"Your asking me what it's like to die?"  
The Dalek didn't answer the Doctor's question.  
  
"Life... support... minimal... shut...down...in...one...rel."  
The Doctor realised that his task was futile. There was no way he could help the Dalek in time. He sat down next to the creature and thought for a moment.  
"It's different everytime." he said slowly. "You see dying for me is also a rebirth of sorts."  
"You... will... go... on." The dalek's voice had faded more and the Doctor knew it was almost over for the creature.  
"It usually starts with pain, unbearable agony, but then there's light, a very bright light. And that's the start of a new beginning, full of hope and wonder."  
"I... do... not... understa... "  
"No, I didn't think you would." The Doctor sighed as he watched the Dalek eye stalk droop and the external lights on its casing flicker and go out.  
  
He picked up his discarded coat and hung it over his left arm. The local sun had just begun it's ascent of the sky. He looked back at the Dalek in wonder.  
  
The Doctor walked slowly back to his time machine. He was humming 'One fine day' by Puccini. It seemed appropriate somehow. Despite being awake all night, he felt refreshed, though admittedly in mind rather than in body.  
  
If one Dalek could be made to see the futility of it's cause, he reasoned, then maybe one day the rest of its race to could be made to see the same thing. Perhaps I made the right decision on Skaro after all.  
  
He took one last look at the world around him. Satisfied he slipped inside the doors The TARDIS. As the Doctor entered the console room. He knew before he saw her that Grace had returned before him. Her fragrance lingered in the in the dimly lit chamber. At first he wonder why the TARDIS had chosen such an awkward illumination setting, but he noticed Grace fast asleep in his favourite armchair, a dish of Jelly babies resting on her lap.  
  
"Sentimentalist." he said outloud. His voice was almost a whisper, but he knew the TARDIS had heard all the same.  
  
Grace must have been waiting up for him. He smiled and removed the sweets carefully and laid his coat over her body. Then he tiptoed over to the central console and started to pull levers and flick switches.  
  
"Time to go," he said to his time machine. "but very quietly please."  
The TARDIS dematerialized, the sound of it's engines somewhat more muted than usual. In the Doctor's favourite armchair, Grace smiled, pulled the frock coat closer and went back to sleep.  
  
  
Fin.  
  
  
  
  
*See 'Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks' available on video ... ... ... somewhere  



End file.
